Alaska delegation chairman to nominate second Bush

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A dozen years ago, the chairman of the Alaska delegation rose from the floor of the Republican National Convention to nominate George Bush for president.

Jerry Prevo will reprise his performance at this week's coronation of Texas Gov. George W. Bush as GOP presidential standard-bearer.

''In 1988, I nominated the father, so there's a little nostalgia here for me to do that for the son,'' said Prevo, sitting on the floor of the cavernous First United Center, in the Alaska delegation's assigned spot at right corner, a stone's throw from center stage.

The two Texas politicians are not carbon copies, said the Baptist minister and leader of the Christian Coalition in Alaska. From his organization's standpoint, the son is less encumbered politically than the elder Bush.

''George W. is his own man. He's proved that by running in the second largest state in the union,'' Prevo said. ''He probably doesn't have some of the more moderate to liberal connections that even his dad had that they may have been concerned about.''

For example, he said, the group had concerns about the elder Bush's ties to the One World movement that it doesn't have about the son.

Alaska has 23 delegates and as many alternates at the convention, and three electoral votes.

In Bush as the GOP presidential nominee and former Wyoming Rep. Dick Cheney, an oil executive, as his running mate, the Alaska delegation sees the strongest possible GOP ticket to fulfill its top priority -- opening more Alaska oil fields to drilling.

''It fits in very well with us. We like that,'' Prevo said of the ticket. Opening the oil fields ''would lower gasoline prices at the pump and we'd not be dependent on foreign oil. We have that oil in Alaska.''